New plans could soon see 50 more police officers fighting crime in Cambridgeshire.

Cambridgeshire Constabulary has announced a new policing 'model' to tackle what it calls an "unprecedented workload".

As well as the extra police officers to support frontline policing, including response and investigations, the force also claims the proposals would see it balance its budget over the next four years by delivering £3.1 million savings.

No new police community support officers (PCSOs) would be taken on, and the 126 full-time equivalent PCSOs would be reduced to a minimum of 80 posts by natural turnover.

Cambridgeshire receives below the national average funding and has fewer officers per head of population. The force faces budget gaps of £2.9 million for 2017/18, and £4 million for 2018/19.

Officers are needed for the 'frontline'

It has 2.8 officers per 1,000 compared to 3.6 nationally, with 76 per cent of its workforce on the frontline, compared to 78 per cent nationally.

There has also been a 17 per cent reduction in the force’s workforce since 2010, compared to 15 per cent nationally, yet Cambridgeshire has some of the highest levels of 999 and 101 calls in the country at between 190,000 and 210,000 incidents per year.

Read More

Chief Constable Alec Wood said that despite the force's recent ‘good’ grading by the police inspectorate, "our current policing model is no longer sustainable".

Cambridgeshire Constabulary Chief Constable Alec Wood

He said: "It is hampering our ability to manage our demand. Like forces across the country, Cambridgeshire faces an unprecedented workload and, as a result, officers and staff are working long hours and juggling heavy workloads.

“We remain committed to protecting the most vulnerable people and targeting the most serious offenders. But this means we have to be realistic about what we can and cannot attend, and make some difficult decisions about our future structure.

“The focus of this review and the proposed model is putting more officers on the frontline to enable us to provide the public with the best service possible. This structure will enable us to fund an additional 50 officers which will make a huge difference to the people of Cambridgeshire.

Read More

“We need to acknowledge the changing profile of crime as well as the changing threat and risk to public safety, much of which would have been unrecognisable just a few years ago. We also need to deliver a policing model that makes the best use of our finances, which in real terms are reducing.

“We remain committed to providing neighbourhood policing and to working with communities and in partnership to reduce crime and to make them safer through effective problem solving. Every resident will be able to contact their local policing team and have a PCSO for their area.

“This said, I have had to make the difficult decision to reduce overall numbers of PCSOs. This is in part a financial decision but also an operational one. The harsh reality is that given the high levels of demand for police officers with warranted powers - to manage and investigate the increase in recorded crime, arrest offenders and make communities safer - I need to reduce the number of PCSOs and increase the number of operational police constables. And I am confident I have struck the right balance.”

Jason Ablewhite

Police and Crime Commissioner Jason Ablewhite said: “I am wholly supportive of the constabulary’s proposed local policing review. The pledge of an extra 50 constables will help us respond effectively to the changing face of demand, whilst maintaining our commitment to neighbourhood policing. I know a great deal of work has gone into delivering this review and am satisfied that, with the strong leadership team the force has in place, the new model will be able to meet the challenges ahead. There have been some difficult decisions however I believe the new model is the right structure to both maintain neighbourhood policing whilst working with communities and partners to reduce crime.”

Officers and staff directly affected by the proposed changes will be going through a period of formal consultation over the coming weeks. The final structure will be confirmed in January and the first phase of the model will go live from April 30 next year.